The Weather
Forecast
Forecast: Ram tonight. Wed
lesday showers follow but
bearing and warmer tonight.
, Temperature
Highest yesterday
lowest this morning 92
Need the Room
Would soma extra Christina
money coma In naadyf Mere's
an easy way to get It . . . Just
sell off the things you no
longer need found In the borne.
You may not need (he room
but others may need what you
hare for gifts.
Medfgrd
Tribune
Full Associated Preas
Full United Prats
Thirty-fourth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, IP
No. 232.
mi
Llll
mm
f' - i 1 1 h
V at AWE .. AIR CAN CRUISER
Washington, D. C, Dec. 19.
Legislation proposed for the re
lief of the lumber industry of
the Pacific Northwest is op
posed by the United States
Maritime Commission. Measures
prepared by. the Oregon sena
tors, in consultation with the
West Coast Lumber Association,
were Introduced last spring and
referred to the commission for
report by the senate commit
tee on commerce. Now that con
i gress is about to meet and con
. " sider the measures acted on by
the committee, the maritime
commission gives an emphatic
"no".
Under the law, the maritime
commission can, in effect, pro
vide a subsidy which would per
mit lumber to be exported in
competition with British Colum
bia. There has never been any
question of the authority of the
commission to do this and the
American lumber industry of
Washington and Oregon has
been urging the commission to
take advantage of this power.
Colonel Greely, general mana
ger of the West Coast associa
tion, has made repeated trips to
the national capital from Seattle
to confer with Senators McNary
and Holman and with the Na
tional Lumbermen's Association.
rPHE commission made a long
" study r and" arrived at the
conclusion that it doesn't like
the proposal, although Admiral
Land, chairman of the commis
sion, is friendly to the idea.
Principal objector is Commis
sioner Max O'Rell Truitt, who
is from Kentucky, and obtained
his job because he is son-in-law
of the democratic leader, Sena
tor Barkley.
Truitt, by the way, is oc
cupying the place on the com
mission which was intended and
promised to ' the west coast
which has no representative on
that body.
VUTSILE at his mother's estate
" at Hyde Park over the
week-end, President Roosevelt
has been working on ideas for
assisting in financing national
defense on a partly "pay-as-you-go"
plan. Tentative method, re
ported in this space several
months ago, is to place a tax on
(Continued on Page Seven )
PORTLAND YULE MAIL
. OVER PREVIOUS YEAR
Portland, Dec. 19. (IP)
There's more bustle in Port
land's Christmas preparations
than a year ago. Postmaster E.
T. Hedlund reported outgoing
mail was up 14 per cent in some
classes while in certain classes
of incoming matter the rise was
19 per cent.
Finns Aid Homefolkt
McMinnville, Ore., Dec. 19.
VP) Yamhill county's Finnish
residents subscribed $450 and
forwarded it today to Hjalmar
J. Procope, Finland's minister
to the United States, for relief
of their countrymen abroad.
SIDE GLANCES
TRIBUNE REPORTERS
Ben (Always Late) Early
wearing a sprig of mistletoe on
his hat while making deliveries
but none of the grocerymen of
fering to embrace him.
Bob Brewer feeling a trifle
tuckered out after an evening
of gayety.
Vernita Adler agreeing with
another rasslin fan that the
front scats are a dangerous
place to sit during team bouts,
because one risks the chance
of getting four large and terri
fying brutes In one's lap.
Edith O'Connor not conceal
ing the fact that she is busier
than a dozen bees.
Betty Viim worried that a
lot of little Toastmistrcsses will
show up at a meeting Wednes
day which has been postponed-
TAKING SURVIVORS
TO ATIMIC PORT
Navy Department Announce
ment Says No Evidence of
Battle Seen By Rescuers.
Washington, Dec. 19. (IP)
The American cruiser Tusca
loosa, the White House announc
ed today, discovered the Ger
man luxury liner Columbus
sinking outside the American
neutrality zone more than 400
miles off the coast between Nor
folk and New York.
Navy department information
furnished the White House,
said the Tuscaloosa found a
British man-of-war in the vicin
ity of the sinking ship but there
had been no evidence of a fight.
The Tuscaloosa picked up
survivors from the big liner and
is bringing them into an Amer
ican port.
No Battle Signs.
Stephen T. Early, White
House press secretary said that
so far as this government knows
the fact there had been no naval
action or evidence of It and this
indicates the Germans may have
scuttled their own ship to es
cape capture.
The British, Early added, may
have been trailing the Colum
bus, waiting to get beyond the
American neutrality zone. He
said, there was no violation -of.
the zone because the sinking
took place beyond the 300-mile
zone limit, he added, it also
"seems reasonable" the Colum
bus may have been scuttled.
The Tuscaloosa will take the
survivors either to Norfolk or
New York, depending upon the
wish of American Immigration
officers.
The navy's Information did
not name the British ship, but
it was believed to be a cruiser.
Found Sinking
"The Important point we
want to stress," Early told re
porters, "is that when the Tus
caloosa arrived at the scene dur
ing routine neutrality patrol she
found the Columbus sinking.
"Nearby was a British man-of-war.
So far as this govern
ment knows there had been no
naval action between the British
ship and the Columbus."
The Columbus, third largest
in the Nazi merchant marine,
slipped out of Vera Cruz last
Thursday with clearance papers
which showed her destination as
Oslo, Norway.
She was heavily laden with
oil and had food supplies for a
50-day voyage.
Built in 1922 at Danzig the
32,581-ton liner was one of the
most luxurious ships afloat. Re
cently renovated for the West
Indies cruise trade, she was
known to thousands of Amer
icans. The Columbus dropped 550
American passengers at Havana
after the war started and sped
to haven at Vera Cruz.
She was a twin screw vessel,
749 feet long, had a beam of 83
feet.
The two-stacked vessel, a fam
iliar sight in New York harbor,
was eauinned to carry 1.800 Das-
j sengers and a crew of 750.
Nazi Attacks on Trawlers
Increase Shipping Losses
(By the Associated Prats)
The sinking of three more ships today sent the known ton
nage losses of all nations hurtling toward the million mark as
Germany unleased a series of plane attacks on small fishing
trawlers.
German planes using aerial
torpedoes attacked t fleet of
British trawlers in the North
Sea, sinking the 185-ton Active
and damaging four others. Three
men were killed on the trawler
Etruria and one was missing
from the Active.
Destruction of the British
freighter City of Kobe, 4.373
tons, and "the Norwegian freight
er Glitrefjell, 1.568 tons, was
revealed when survivors of the
vessels reached England. Five
were killed on the Glittefjell,
Schiaparelli Sees
Return Of Sanity
In Hat Designing
New York, Dec. 19. (IP)
Cheer up, men. Your wife's
spring hat may not be "funny
looking."
At least that's the opinion
of Schiaparelli, the Parisian
designer, who once popular
ized a hat shaped a bit like a
shoe.
"I don't believe there will
be any extremely short skirts
or funny looking hats," she
said today as she left on the
Dixie Clipper for Europe
after a two weeks' visit.
Any other style extremes
evolving from the war?
"In times like this we may
be very quiet or very mad,"
she replied. "I can't tell, but
I don't think so."
MAN 10 STOLE NIECE
SENTENCED TO SERVE
7 TO 10 YEARS IN PEN
Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 19. (U.P)
Otis Vincent Miner, 56-year-old
confessed child stealer, was sen
tenced today to s e r v e from
seven to ten years in the state
prison for the abduction In 1929
of 12-year-old Alice Vestal.
Sentence was pronounced by
Superior Judge Arthur T. La
Prade.
Miner ran off with Alice, a
Phoenix schoolgirl, In 1929, fol
lowing an argument with the
girl's father.. He married her
in .1932 when she. was IB. The
couple have three children.
No word of the girl's where
abouts was known until two
months ago when she left Miner
at Picher, Okla., and went to
the home of her parents in Ash
land, Ore.
T
RECORD FOR SIZE
Berlin, Dec. 19. (IP) The
great battle between British and
German warplanes over Ger
man Bay (Helgoland Bight) yes
terday was the biggest air fight
in history, the German official
news agency DNB said today.
The German high command,
repeating that only two Ger
man planes had been lost, raised
from 44 to 52 the number of
British planes reported in the
engagement.
British losses were raised
from 34 to 36 by DNB, which
said it was established an addi
tional bomber had been shot
down and another plane had
made an emergency landing.
(The British air ministry said
only seven British craft were
missing, and that 12 German
planes had been' shot down. Au
thoritative British sources
agreed, however, with earlier
German statements that the bat
tle was the biggest air clash of
the present war).
Dial Commended
Portland, Dec. 19. (IP) The
Portland Americanization coun
cil commended the Dies com
mittee for exposing un-American
activities and adopted a
resolution today favoring its
continuance.
1! saved. Eighteen were saved
from the Kobe and no mention
was made of the rest of the
crew.
Survivors from both ships
said they thought they had been
torpedoed.
The losses sent the known
toll to 250 ships with ton
nage of 923,903. Britain has lost
at least 136 ships with ton
nage of 506,994.
Known loss in life rose to 2.-
687 with more than a 1,000
listed as missing
FINN AIR FORCE
TO
Supply Columns and Forces
Bombed Four Russian
Airplanes Shot Down
London, Dee. 19. (IP) A
R u e t r s (British Newt
Agency) dispatch from Hel
sinki tonight said it was re
ported without confirmation
that the Rutsian 23,256-ton
battleahip Oktiabrakaya-Rev-olutia
(October Revolution)
had been tunk by Finnish
coattal batteriet.
Helsinki, Dec. 19. (P) The
Finnish air force was reported
officially today to have carried
the war into enemy territory,
strlkine nt Russian units on
both sides of the boundary.
Finnish warplanes, said the
army communique, made "suc
cessful attacks on enemy forces
on the march, supply columns
and enemy forces in camp and
at rest.
Fmir nncKlnn rttnnes were shot
rinwn "and nossiblv this num
ber will be revised upward,"
the communique cominuea, De
scribing Finnish defense against
Russian raids.
Helsinki, for the first time
since the opening days of the
waf strain was raided. About
20 planes dropped 32 bombs In
the capital area, some or. ouu
pounds,, others . 01 situ. ....
Copenhagen". Dec. 19. (IP)
A motorized Soviet Russian
army rolled south along Fin
lnnri'g nretle hlehwav. it was re
ported today, on the heels of
retreating Finnish torccs.
Advices reaching Copenhagen
urora thai tHp Finns lost a bat
tle yesterday near Plikajarvl,
about 53 miles soumwesi or mc
arctic port, Petsamo, on the Pas
vlk river separating northern
most Finland from a narrow
neck of Norwegian territory.
Finnt Burn Town
An nfflpinl Moscow rcDort
that Pitkajarvi Itself had been
captured had not been con
firmed by Finnish sources, but
observers at Norwegian corner
points said the Finns were burn
ing buildings, apparently in pre
paration for abandoning the
town.
A more serious threat to the
Finns was seen in an uncon
firmed rpnnrt In Stockholm that
tho Red Army had broken
through the Juolajarvl front in
central Finland and reached
Kc'mijarvi, which is linked by
rail to Tornio on the gulf of
Bothnia.
Should the Russian army
ronrh Rnvnnicmi. 50 miles to
the east where highways and
connecting railways run 10 me
Swedish border, Helsinki's land
communications with Sweden
would be cut off.
Some reports from Helsinki
said the Russians had thrown a
half-million men into the In
vasion, with 200,000 of these
added in the last few days.
DAHACiVSESTATE
LEFT TO BROTHER
The last will and testament
of Zera Edward Dahack, slain
in a gun battle with state police
on December 4, after the seizure
of Illegal deer meat at his cabin
in the Lake Creek district, was
filed for probate yesterday.
All his property it bequeath
ed to his brother, Irwin Da
hack, under the terms of the
will, which was made last July
22. The property includes the
120-acre farm, near the Dead
Indian Soda Springs, where the
two brothers lived, three lots
in Medford, with an approxi
mate value of $1000, and Cali
fornia Oregon Power company
stock, loan bonds, and other
stock of the approximate value
of $1000.
William Perry of Eagle Point.
Ernest Dahack of Eagle Point
and Clarence Pierce of Medford
art named appraisers.
End of Graf Spee From
.S
V"-, NW WW fc ,
a( m9
Taken from an airplane and sent from Buenos Aires to New York by radio, thlt pic
ture thowt the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee as the burned and tank off
Montevideo, Uruguay harbor. The vessel was destroyed by her. own crew on ordert of Adolf
Hitler.
URUGUAY PLACES
NAZI SUPPLY SHIP
El
By Harold K. Milkt
Montevideo, Dec. 19. (ff
The Uruguayan government to
day took a step toward intern
ment of the German supply ship
Tacoma, which carried oil sup
plies intended for the Ill-fated
battleship Admiral Graf Spec
before a battle with three Bri
tish cruisers sent her to her
doom.
Government vessels escorted
the Tacoma from an outer har
bor anchorage Into the inner
basin where she must pass be
tween two narrow breakwaters
and under the guns of a Uru
guayan warship to reach the
sea. '
Officials said detention of
the vessel was not final Intern
ment for duration of the war,
but was "a step In that direc
tion." Captain Arrested
The Tacoma!s captain is un
der technical arrest for violat
ing a rule against movement of
merchant ships when the Graf
Spee sailed out to be scuttled.
A great plume of black smoke
continued to rise from the burn
ing bulk of the nazl battleship.
A naval inspector said she prob
ably would continue to burn for
48 hours more. .
Naval sources intimated the
Graf Spec's encounter with the
British cruisers was no acci
dent, but really a trap that had
the British-sold fuel oil as the
bait.
These sources said a German
freighter attempted to buy oil
from a British concern at an
undisclosed Brazilian port 10
days before the engagement of
last Wednesday. At first it wns
refused, but later was supplied
on instructions from headquar
ters. Dettructlon Unjustified
Capt. Hans Langsdorff, com
mander of the German pocket
battleship, said he was cruising
off the coast of Brazil In search
of a rendezvous with the sup
ply ship Tacoma when he sight
ed the British cruiser Exeter.
The Uruguayan foreign min
istry said there was no "pos
sible" Justification for the Ger
mans blowing up their ship,
rather than go out to face the
waiting British warshlpi again.
Foreign Minister Alberto Gu
ani replied In a formal commun
ique to German charges Uru
guay was responsible for the
Admiral Graf Spee's destruction
by forcing It to leave port, or
be interned.
He said Uruguay had acted at
every step in conformity with
the Hague convention (concern
ing belligerent warships).
Wed In Reno
Reno, Dec. 19. (IP) A mar
riage license was issued yester
day to Russell Gibbons, over 21,
and Joy Hen-man, over 21, both
Klamath Falls.
V
5
British Chase German Tanker
Into Safety of Florida Seaport
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dec.
fleeing from a British cruiser,
harbor of Port Everglades.
Flying the nazl swastika, the
vessel anchored within sight of
the occanfront. " Port officials
were taken aboard and by mld
aftcrnoon the tanker turned her
nose once more toward shore.
She was Identified by the
coast guard as the Arauca, out
of Tamplco.
The naval vessel was a
cruiser of the 10,000-ton class,
but her name could not be seen.
She flew the British flag.
The two vessels rushed to
ward the port from the south.
Some reports said the cruiser
fired across the bows of the
tanker.
Officials said the German
vessel, being of the merchant
class, could remain in port as
long as she wished, without fear
of internment.
Appearance of the two vessels
here followed closely reports
published in a Miami newspaper
that British warships were off
the Florida coast waiting to
pounce on the 32,505-ton Ger
man liner Columbus.
The Columbus left Vera Cruz,
Mexico, last week on an at
tempted dash home. The wnr
caught it on a cruise in the
Caribbean.
AT
Wilmington, Cel., Dec. 19.
(JP) A nine-car collision In the
fog today, at an Intersection
where five persons recently
were killed, seriously injured
three motorists. One had his
legs amputated.
Police said an automobile
struck the rear of a machine
driven . by William B. Ashley,
59, which was halted at a boule
vard stop, and knocked the Ash
ley car into the intersection.
Four automobiles plowed into
one side of the Ashley car then,
officers said, and three crashed
Into the other side. Ashley was
taken to a hospital for the am
putation. O.S.C.
AIR PUPIL TO SOLO
Corvalls, Dec. 19. (IP) James
McGlnnls, Spokane, Junior In
chemical engineering at Oregon
State college, soloed under the
civilian pilot training program
yesterday the first to go aloft
alone In Oregon.
He took up a small Taylor
craft ship from the Albany air
port after 30 hours of ground
work and eight hours dual flight
time under Mrs. Evelyn Burle
son, Albany, one of two women
instructors in the country.
Airplane
V f . yf
19. (IP) A German oil tanker,
took refuge today In the quiet
PUGILIST CONFESSES
OF
New York, Dec. 19. (IP)
John J. Ryan, assistant chief'
police inspector, announced to
day Ernie Haas, 28, a pugilist,
had been arrested in Toronto,
Canada, for the killing of Dr.
Walter Engelberg, secretary of
the German consulate here.
Ryan said Haas acknowledged
he beat Engelberg to death In
his Brooklyn home December
5. Haas' statement, Ryan said,
was made to Captain Frank
Bals, Brooklyn detective.
A woman, Ryan said, unwit
tingly led to Haas' arrest.
The woman went to a Brook
lyn department store to buy an
electric train and other toys.
While she was being waited on
she talked with a sales girl
about the Engelberg case and
mentioned Haas' name and the
fact that she was going to To
ronto. The sales girl secretly noti
fied the store management. Po
lice were called and the woman
was trailed.
Ryan said today Haas, In de
scribing the crime, insisted he
killed Engelberg because the
secretary's behavior became of
fensive. DEATH COMES TO
KIPLMOW
London, Dec. 19. UP) Mrs.
Rudyard Kipling, widow of the
author and poet, died at her
home today In Sussex.
The former Caroline Starr
Balcstlcr was born In Brattle
boro, Vt.
She and Kipling were mar
ried in 1892 in London, hut r.
turned to Vermont for a honey
moon and remained four years
while Kipling wrote some of his
most famous works.
Mrs. Kipling, who had been
ill for an extended time, would
have been 74 December 31.
Lewis Closeted
With Roosevelt
Washington, Dec. 19. (Pi
John L. Lewis, head of the C.I.
O., conferred with President
Roosevelt today 20 minutes, but
told reporters afterward the
meeting was "a perfect dud"
as far at news was concerned.
All he would say was that he
came at the invitation of the
president.
CITY WATER RATE
TO METER USERS
Approximate 25 Per Cent
Reduction Starts Jan. 1
Will Mean $4,729 Saving.
Minimum rates on water me
ters within the city limits will
be reduced approximately 25
per cent beginning January 1, it
was announced today by Robert
A. Duff, superintendent of the
water department.
The reduction was voted at a
meeting of the board of water
commissioners yesterday after
noon. The annual saving to wa
ter consumers was estimated at
$4,729.80. The reduction does
not affect consumers on a flat
rate service or meter service
outside the city. Mr. Duff esti
mated, however, that about 10
per cent of flat rate residential
consumers would change to me
ters. The water department, fur
nishes the meters. He said that
it would be cheaper for families
In small home! without yards or
gardens to change to the meter
service. The flat rate is $2.35 a
month. ,
Sewage Fee Continues
The usual monthly charge ot
15 cents for sewage disposal will
continue to be collected by the
water department and thus will
be Included in the water bills
for , both meter and flat rate
services, Mr. Duff pointed but."
Most of the patrons on meter
service are commercial consum
ers. A few apartment houses
also use the meter service.
This is the second reduction In
minimum rates since 1935, Mr,
Duff pointed out. A general re
duction was made In 1935, the
flat rate being cut from $2.50
monthly to $2.35. ' '
Equalises Rates.
The board felt that to make
the rates more equitable there
should be a reduction in the
minimum meter charges, Mr.
Duff explained, adding that
naturally the financial condition
of the water department per
mitted such a reduction.
The minimum water rate re
ductions were ordered as fol
lows: meter size 5-8 by 3-4 Inch,
from $2.35 to $1.75; size 1 Inch,
from $2.85 to $2.10; .1W inches,
from $3.35 to $2.50; 2 inches,
from 4.35 to $3.25; 3 Inches,
from $7.85 to $5.85; 4 Inches,
from $10.85 to $8.10; six Inches,
from $13.85 to $10.35.
Water consumption permitted
for the minimum rates on me
ters up to and including the
3-lnch size Is 54)00 gallons. On
the 4 and 6-lnch meters, con
sumption of 10,000 gallons is
allowed.
Aids Small User.
In saying that small house
holds would find it advantage
ous to change from the flat
rate to meter service, Mr. Duff
pointed to the new minimum
rate of $1.75 for the smallest
size meter in contrast to the
flat rate of $2.35.
Mr. Duff said there were 334
meters in service within the
city.
In computing figures on
which the meter rate reduction
were based, Mr. Duff estimated
total water department revenue
for 1939 at $141,700.78 and for
1940 at $137,070.98.
Roundup Date Set
Pendleton, Dec. 19. (Py
The Pendleton round-up board
announced today the 1940 show
would be held September 11,
12, 13 and 14.
Radio Highlights
By Associated Press.
(Pacific Standard Time.)
Tonight: Europe WABC
CBS 5:55, 8; MBS S; WEAK-NBC-East
8.
WABC-CBS 7:45, Sec. M. H.
Woodring on "National De
fense." MBS 8:15, Pres. birthday
committee.
Wednesday: Pro-Chr'lstmas
WJZ-NBC, 2 p. m. Greeting
by children of foreign diplo
mats. Europe NBC 5 a. m.;
WABC-CBS S a. m., 3:30 p. m.